Tips on what to do and what not to do while being interviewed by the media

By Alex Brown | Posted 7/21/2015

In the world of college football recruiting, there are an increasing number of media members clamoring to interview top prospects. Everyone wants a quote to run with, and most young players enjoy the attention. The problem is that many players are not coached up on how to interview until they are already in college.

To help out, here things to keep in mind interviewing.

  • Fully listen to the question. The best interviews involve athletes who are able to engage in dialogue. Listen to the question being asked and respond appropriately rather than simply waiting for your turn to talk. After the U.S. Under-18 National Team lost, 25-9, to Team Canada at the 2015 International Bowl, it would have been easy for U.S. linebacker Jamarion Caston to drop his head and avoid any media interviews. Instead, he was engaging and responsive, citing how much pride he takes in representing the United States. “Pride…pride for playing for my country,” Caston said at the time. “Nobody gave up, and nobody should’ve given up. I made sure that none of our players were on the bench, and that they were cheering their country on.”
  • Deflect praise toward teammates and coaches. Talking about teammates and coaches shows how much athletes appreciate the support and people around them. Always remember that it takes 11 players executing their assignments to render a successful play. In interviewing U.S. Under-17 quarterback Lindell Stone, I asked what it meant to lead Team USA to victory and earn MVP honors. While Stone could have spoken about his own game and ability, he said his satisfaction came from the team win: “The MVP trophy was just a consolation prize and wasn’t that important to me. The important thing was that we got the win.”
  • Be prepared to evaluate yourself. Have self-awareness. To be a compelling interview subject, athletes must be able to accurately describe their game. Find and build upon on strengths while correcting flaws and continuing to learn how to advance on the field. Communicate those thoughts. Take time to think about how your game stacks up with competition and know that everyone has bad days. Don’t let the highs get too high or the lows too low. U.S. National U-16 receiver David Shannon did this well at the International Bowl, because he was able to talk about the skills he learned that week from the coaching staff. He also brought up former Alabama receiver and 2015 NFL Draft prospect Amari Cooper as a player that he would like to model his game after: “I learned a lot of different techniques like getting off the line and aligning properly. It helps a lot to learn new techniques and perspectives at wide receiver.”

Just as important, here’s what not to do while being interviewed.

  • Allow your eyes to wander. During interviews, be sure to give the other person your full attention. Complete eye contact is awkward, but focus on whom you are speaking to and help the media member do their job. You may have a thousand things on your mind, but at that moment there is only one task at hand.
  • Make it all about yourself. Coming across humble is not about refusing to accept personal achievement but realizing the impact others have had in your successes. Saying, “I’m a humble person … ” often comes off as anything but true. There is a fine line between being self-confident and being cocky. Have confidence in your ability, be honest in recognizing your support group, and you will come across as mature.
  • Be generic. Football clichés are expected but they don’t give the media any better idea of who you are. Determine what type of player you are, what type of player you want to become and come up with a plan on how to get there. You can’t always be 100 percent honest but don’t fall into the trap of repeating clichés over and over.

Just as with hard work on the field, set goals set and a plan in place when it comes to the media. This will allow you to talk more honestly with reporters. Again, the focus is to make the interview conversational, not interrogational.

Coming out of Minnesota and declaring early for the draft, 2015 NFL Draft prospect Maxx Williams clearly knows what his strengths and weaknesses are. Anticipating questions and understanding skill sets allow players to appear confident, so take a look at how Williams handles himself on the podium. 

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